VI Package Manager (VIPM)

Important Terminology

Package: A package is a file which contains all of the necessary components wrapped together along with the actual tool which is to be installed. The package provides information related to its destination, compatible LabVIEW versions etc. Package files are saved in the *.VIP format.

Package Repository: It is a central location containing packages. It can be a URL or a Path. Once a subscription to a repository is created, VIPM will fetch all the packages in the repository. By default, VIPM is subscribed to the LabVIEW Tools Network repository and the VI Package Network repository. You can also subscribe to any other custom repositories created if you have VIPM Pro.

Subscription: You can subscribe to a repository in VIPM by adding the subscription URL into the network settings of VIPM. VIPM can then check the subscription to see if there are new packages or updates to installed packages.

LabVIEW Version: This is the version of LabVIEW for which VIPM will manage packages. VIPM is capable of managing packages for any LabVIEW version you have installed.

Library: The library is simply a location (folder) on your computer where the packages are downloaded from the repository before installing. This location is defined internally by VIPM and you cannot change it. You can have packages in your library that do not exist in a repository. When installing\downloading packages, VIPM places the original package file into this library so that you can later uninstall\reintstall the package as needed.

Unpublished: If you have packages in your library (see above) that do not exist in any repository, then the package is considered unpublished. This can typically happen if you build your own packages and install them but do not publish them to a repository.

Package Configuration (File): This is a list of packages that is managed as a group and applies to a specific LabVIEW version. This list can be saved to a file and later recalled and applied. You can create package configurations using the VI Package Configuration Editor window. Package configurations are saved as *.VIPC files.

Deprecated: A package is considered deprecated when a repository manager (a person who manages the repository) marks a package as deprecated in the repository. This can be done via the Repository Manager window. Typically, a package is deprecated because a new version of the package is available and the package publisher doesn’t want others using the old package. Deprecated packages are hidden in the VIPM package list by default, but can be made visible changing a setting in the VIPM Options.

Dependency: A package is considered to have a dependency if it relies on one or more other packages being installed in LabVIEW for it to function correctly. VIPM automatically installs these dependencies if a package depends on other packages. These dependencies are defined during the package building phase.

Sub-package: Sometimes, when building a package, it’s necessary to have some files install outside of the LabVIEW target folder. When this happens, VIPM creates a parent package that contains another sub-package inside of it that targets the system environment (these sub-packages are sometimes called System Packages). When you install this parent package, VIPM extracts the sub-package and places it beside the parent package and installs it together. VIPM normally hides these packages from your package list, but you may see them listed or referenced in some dialogs.

 


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